Konnakol - a valid accompaniment not in vogue these days

Tālam & Layam related topics
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param
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Joined: 21 Oct 2005, 14:19

Post by param »

Konnakol - The art of reciting the jatis or the chollus being played by the mridangam artiste was an important accompaniment. This art is slowly dying. Would any of you rasikas have konnakol as a part of the "full bench" as it used to be known those days.

srkris
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Post by srkris »

Yes it would be interesting to have konnakkol as part of a full bench. But the concept of full bench concerts are themselves very rare today. Only TNS & Ravikiran are the ones I can recall among those performing today that have had full bench concerts.

A full bench performance would not only be a challenging exercise for the vocalist but also lead to balance of power between vocalists and violinist on the one side and the percussionists on the other side. This doesnt mean one side has to outwit the other, but it could lead to a healthy banter.

rshankar
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Post by rshankar »

What is a 'full-bench' concert?
I heard that Smt. Vedavalli has done research on kunnakol.
Ravi

meena
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Post by meena »

having violin, mrdangam, ghatam, kanjira, morsing, konnakkol, gettuvadyam and tanpura is full-bench concerts

srkris
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Post by srkris »

I dont think konnakkol is a part of full bench, or is it?

meena
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Post by meena »

chembai
recall reading sree TVG and ravi kiran program review, yes konnakkol too, now is flute also a part of full-bench?

Nick H
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Post by Nick H »

As a fledgling morsing player with close and respected friends who are ghatam and kanjira artists I shouldn't say this, but I do sometimes find "full bench" accompaniment just too much. I was delighted bythe simplicity and "intimacy" achieved recently by a two-person concert: vina and mridangam only.

Konnakol is wonderful: I have always been attracted by the vocal aspect of percussion in Indian music and dance, both H and M. Perhaps my sample is too small, but I find that mridangists are better at it than tabla players --- perhaps because their native language is more percussive? This is a wild theory only, and I can knock myself down with the recollection of hearing some Kathak artists (I love this aspect of Kathak).

srkris
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Post by srkris »

The "too much" effect of full-bench concerts might be considerably lessened if the group has already a performed together atleast a few times and knows how to adapt to each others' styles without sounding cacophonic.

coolkarni

Post by coolkarni »

http://file.uploadr.com/c8aa

bumped into this in a Neyveli Concert..
Thani (with Konakkaol ) by TK Murthy

meena
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Post by meena »

TH Subash Chandran performs Konnakol
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Last edited by meena on 06 May 2008, 10:09, edited 1 time in total.

ninjathegreat
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Post by ninjathegreat »

Nick,

Is you listen to a almost full bench concert, say that given by Madurai Somu (all except konakkol: CSM, Shyamsundar, Alangudi and Pudukottai Mahadevan), the accompaniments very ably complement each other, and it sounds divine. (I only have two pieces - an RTP and a song, but even there you can see the dynamics...) The problem even in 2 percussion instruments is that one is a genius, or very experienced, while the other is a beginner - which causes problems...

Cheers
Ninja

jayaram
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Post by jayaram »

There's a great Manakkal rendition of Lathangi (Marivere) with konnakol accompaniment. Collector's item.

mohan
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Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 16:52

Post by mohan »

See konnakol by Lori Cotler (an American woman) at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EV7KXGZdTog and www.loricotler.com for more info about the artiste

annapoorne
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Post by annapoorne »


pgaiyar
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Post by pgaiyar »

To : Ninjathegreat : Please upload the Madurai Somu RTP and the song you have mentioned. God bless you.

Regards

P. G. Aiyar

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